The Diffraction of X-Rays by Liquid and Plastic Sulphur

X-ray diffraction patterns of plastic sulphur at room temperature and of liquid sulphur at several temperatures ranging from 124°C to 340°C have been obtained. The position of the main peak in terms of (sin θ)/λ is 0.140 at 124°C, 0.138 at 147°C, 0.138 at 151°C, 0.139 at 157°C, 0.127 at 166°C, 0.127 at 175°C, 0.125 at 225°C, and 0.120 at 340°C. Atomic distribution curves have been obtained in the cases of plastic sulphur, and of liquid sulphur at 124°C, 166°C, 175°C, 225°C, and 340°C. These curves all appear somewhat similar. The nearest neighbors are found at 2.08A for plastic sulphur, and at approximately 2.07A for liquid sulphur at all temperatures. The number of nearest neighbors is 2.0 for plastic sulphur, and it is about 1.7 for liquid sulphur. The possibility of using the present information in explaining certain properties of sulphur is discussed.